If you’re reading this, we probably don’t need to convince you that it’s time to remodel your kitchen. Instead our goal is to help you transform that tired space into a room that looks fresh and inviting year after year, despite the fickle nature of design fads.

Whether your dream kitchen is only a few decisions or a complete makeover away, our experts give you the information you need to succeed. Our Ratings (available to subscribers) tell you what nothing else can: which appliances, countertops, and flooring offer the best combination of performance and value based on our independent lab tests. Our report on where to buy appliances (available to subscribers) tells you the best places to shop. The remodeling finance report (available to subscribers) includes the best ways to finance the job. And our kitchen interactive helps you pull it all together. We even name the best places to shop for appliances and the best ways to finance your dream.

Let’s start with the kitchen remodeling trends that are here to stay and worth splurging on--and the ones that you’re better off avoiding.

Manufactured materials such as laminate and engineered stone have gotten better than ever at mimicking the real thing. But prices for granite and some other stones continue to drop. (See our report, available to subscribers.) Regardless of the material, make sure you have enough of it. The sink and major appliances such as the refrigerator and range need at least a 15-inch-wide landing area alongside--enough room to stack dirty plates or safely set down a hot pot.

Save by mixing materials. Complement a large, modestly priced run of laminate with a small but exquisite piece of stone on the island. Or use small, less expensive stone remnants rather than a single pricey slab. Remember that color and veining may vary from piece to piece.

Splurge on curved corners and rounded edges for safety. Beveled and bull-nose edges add style but are pricey.

Our  range, cooktop, wall oven, and refrigerator Ratings (available to subscribers) reveal that pro-style appliances aren’t necessarily better performers. You’re paying mostly for the look. But mainstream appliances are increasingly taking style cues from their commercial counterparts, so you can have stainless and still have money left over. Conventional appliances have also proved less repair-prone than pro-style brands in general in our Annual Product Reliability Survey results; you’ll find them in this section’s appliance reports.

Save by skipping built-in refrigerator drawers and dishwasher drawers, which typically are small, pricey, less energy efficient, and take up space better used for additional cabinets and storage.

Splurge on a bit more refrigerator space. Designers suggest a family of three or four needs at least 21 cubic feet of manufacturer’s claimed capacity; a family of five or more needs at least 25 cubic feet. Use our Ratings (available to subscribers) to see which models come closest to those claims. Just make sure the fridge fits through the door.

No one ever complains that their sink is too big, so buy the biggest basin that fits your design and budget. If you’re going the double-basin route, consider stepping up from a basin-and-a-quarter to a basin-and-a-half. Less critical is the material you choose; our tests have shown that most perform adequately. (See our report, available to subscribers.) A handful of companies offer coordinated collections of faucets and door hardware or lighting.

Save on stainless sinks by sticking with thin-walled, 23-gauge models. Our tests have shown these resist dents and heat and are as quiet as thicker, pricier, 18-gauge sinks. Formerly exclusive faucet finishes such as nickel and oil-rubbed bronze are available on lower-priced faucets. Just make sure they have ceramic discs on the inside and PVD (physical vapor deposition) finishes on the outside.

Splurge on an undermount sink and a wall-mounted faucet. Both keep the countertop clear for easy cleanup. A motion-activated or foot-pedal-operated faucet lets you rinse romaine without taking your hands off the colander.

Unlike a home’s entry hall or living room, which typically rely on an expanse of flooring to make a big impression, the kitchen has other elements that garner attention--cabinets, countertops, appliances. So spending big on flooring need not be a priority. Sturdy standbys such as laminate and vinyl look better than ever and won’t break the bank. (See our flooring report, available to subscribers.) Remember that you can almost always replace and upgrade the flooring down the road without destroying the rest of the kitchen.

Save with laminate flooring. It’s easy on your wallet and wears well, which is important in high traffic areas.

Splurge on factory-finished hardwood flooring. Although the material can be more expensive than unfinished wood, the streamlined installation process can save time, money, and your lungs at the back end. Factory-finished hardwood tends to hold up better. Also consider bamboo if you like the contemporary flair of its uniform grain and square burl pattern. Though bamboo can darken in bright sunlight, its fast-growing nature makes it an attractive and “green” option.

Updating appliances, cabinetry, and countertops without addressing a kitchen’s overall layout is a recipe for failure. (See our kitchen-planning interactive.) Floor plans that open the kitchen by annexing adjacent dining or living rooms or incorporating eat-in areas have grown along with kitchens. Some 95 percent of the homes built in 2005 by Toll Brothers, one of the country’s largest builders, had an open-plan kitchen. The Mid-America Regional Council, a Kansas City, Mo.-based nonprofit, publishes the “First Suburbs Coalition Idea Book” ($10 available from its Web site), which offers tips on adapting postwar floor plans to open layouts.

Save by upgrading overhead lighting and repainting walls to give small kitchens a more airy feel, or add a pass-through between the kitchen and the dining room. In already open kitchens, nix the island cooktop, which requires an expensive range hood that blocks sightlines from one space to the next. For the same reason, don’t spring for hanging pot racks.

Splurge by enlarging small kitchens. Make windows bigger, turn a closet in an adjoining room into a pantry, or take down the wall between the kitchen and adjacent rooms. In larger kitchens, add an island with a sink, which essentially doubles your prep and cleanup areas.